Thursday, September 11, 2014

Fall Reading 2014 Dreamwood

If you enjoy historical fiction that has a bit of fantasy woven in, then this story is right up your alley. Lucy has run away from the boarding school her father enrolled her in, because she wants to help him in his job of "clearing ghosts." (Yes, he is an early sort of Ghostbuster. Of all the guys on the team, he would be most like Egon - he has a prominent nose, glasses, and is always making new gadgets to help with his work.)

But when Lucy arrives at his last known location, he has gone off to try and solve the problem facing the townspeople and has not returned. Lucy packs up some supplies and heads off into the wilderness of the northwest to find him and bring back the remedy that the settlers in the area need. In this alternate history, the native tribes still control many areas along the Pacific coast and the white settlers are having problems with the lumber industry because the trees are rotting from something called Rust. They fear the First People of the Lupine tribe have hexed the trees, but the Lupines have the same problem. (Egon would be happy, Lucy's father has identified Rust as a type of fungus. He even took samples.)

Lucy has help on her quest from a couple of fellow teenagers, and some good advice from a few adults. But as in all adventures, there are perils, villains, and obstacles. It will take all of Lucy's experience with the world of spirits, her companion's wilderness skills, and even some help from the spirits to succeed. Along the way she learns that she can't always have all the answers, sometimes it's okay not to know everything, and it can even be good to admit when you have made a mistake.

This strong female protagonist reminds me of the characters from Karen Cushman's books like Catherine Called Birdy, The Midwife's Apprentice, and The Ballad of Lucy Whipple.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. It was published June 12, 2014. For more information, visit the author's website.